Dec 31 2019 Houseplant Trends

The most popular houseplant trends 2019

by Sabrina Keim / Mission Plant Co.

12.31.18

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, it isn’t hard to see that indoor plants are having a moment. Once a huge interior design movement in the 70s and lost for decades, houseplants have rooted their way back into our lives. Local greenhouses are catching on and even grouping their houseplants into light categories with watering instructions to help us along the way.

SOME LIKE IT HOT - FERNS

Ferns are gracing the covers of interior design magazines and being sold in all varieties across plant boutiques.

According to Australia’s BHG.com, ferns make great statement plants for both indoors and outdoors. They are a skill level up from hardy houseplants requiring more moisture, watering, and heat than most indoor plants…and basically for a professional interior plantscaper, like myself, the fern is a bit of a diva. For an indoor environment, ferns require multiple weekly light waterings, water moisture through daily misting, and an adequate amount of heat without drafts. Ferns are for the plant lover looking for a beautiful, delicate challenge, but you will not be disappointed by their intricate visual appeal.

OH SO SHINY - RUBBER PLANTS

Rubber plant (middle)

While the monstera deliciosa and fiddle leaf fig continue to enthrall us on social media with their gorgeous giant leaves, newcomer the “rubber plant” also has a lot to offer us aesthetically. For one, there is weight to this leaf. Its meaty, leathery texture makes you want to chew on it. It looks like green candy and we’re eating it up. The natural shape of the plant is simple with one or two stems making interior design uncomplicated. Easy to care for with weekly waterings and low-medium light.

BYE BYE SUCCULENTS, WE HAVE BONSAI

The bonsai is technically a form of art developed from ancient Chinese horticultural practices and later influenced by Japanese Zen Buddhism. The bonsai tree comes in many shapes and varieties. When bonsai are grown and shaped well, their gnarled trunks and limbs look like enormous trees shrunken down into miniature versions. Bonsai live longer than most any indoor plant,—the world’s oldest living bonsai tree is 1,000 years old and lives in Japan. My mother had a Texas Ebony bonsai gifted to her on her wedding day and 35 years later donated it to our local Bonsai Society. The society members were shocked at how well she had cared for it, but also dismayed that she never learned proper shaping techniques. Most greenhouses and plant shops have a substantial bonsai section. They are surprisingly no more difficult to grow than succulents.

We highly recommend the fern, rubber plant, and bonsai tree for those who want to up their plant game in 2019.